Ruto To Fly To Italy This Month
He further announced that Governors Wisley Rotich and Susan Kihika would accompany him during the trip to Italy.
admin
President William Ruto has announced that he will fly out to Italy later in January to seek funding for water projects that have stalled across the country.
Speaking during a church service on Sunday, January 14 in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, the Head of State revealed that he would travel to Italy in response to an invitation by President Sergio Mattarella.
President Ruto noted that he would be seeking investors to revive stalled projects such as the Arror and Kimwarer dams in Elgeyo Marakwet and the Itare Dam in Nakuru County.
He further announced that Governors Wisley Rotich and Susan Kihika would accompany him during the trip to Italy.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella (right) and President William Ruto during the Italian President's State Visit on March 14, 2023. /WILLIAM RUTO
“As leaders here have said, on how the county will move forward. We have spoken about roads and water projects which have stalled in this area,” he explained why he was moving to seek out investors
“I spoke to the President of Italy where the investors came from and I agreed that I will go with the governors of Elgeyo Marakwet and Nakuru to Italy this month to finish that work."
The Head of State further explained that the delegation was informed of the physical location of the stalled dams.
On March 14, 2023, President Ruto announced that the talks surrounding the construction of the Kimwarer, Arror and Itare dams in the North Rift Valley part of Kenya were revived following a meeting with President Mattarella at State House Nairobi.
The president also noted that the government would work with the government of Italy to resolve burning issues that had affected the progress of the projects.
The Head of State further noted that the two governments had agreed to facilitate the withdrawal of cases contesting the legality of the procurement process that emerged in the initial stages of the projects.
"The process of sorting the matters in court has already started in earnest," Ruto noted.
"We have agreed to re-establish cooperation on the construction of Arror, Kimwarer and Itare dams and other water and sanitation projects which are critical to our agenda on food security, delivery of water and climate action."
In addition, measures would be put in place to renegotiate the restructuring of finances that were committed during former President Uhuru Kenyatta's term.
According to Ruto, the government was keen on ensuring that the Arror and Kimwarer projects resume in a "matter of months", treating them as "urgent and top priority" for the government's plans to alleviate the water shortage crisis in parts of the Rift Valley.
"I am very proud to announce that the three dams which were subject to court cases and court matters, we have now agreed on a framework to settle all the outstanding court cases and court matters and agreed that the facilities that had been provided for the construction of these dams will be renegotiated so that we can provide for the delivery of the dams and the implementation of the projects," he added.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta in September 2019 cancelled the Arror, Kimwarer and Itare dams project following an investigation that revealed that it was technically and financially unfeasible.
In December 2023, a Nairobi anti-corruption court acquitted former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich on the Arror and Kimwarer dam graft case for lack of evidence, even though the taxpayer lost Ksh63 billion.
Past construction of Arror and Kimwarer dams project. /FILE
